And, That The Zamorin
Might Not Think These Were Only Words Of Course, He Called For An
Hour-Glass, Which
He set down in presence of the Moorish messenger, saying
that as soon as the sand had run out a
Certain number of times, he would
infallibly put in execution all that he had threatened. All this, however,
could not induce the zamorin to perform his promise; for he was of an
inconstant and wavering disposition, and influenced by the counsels of
the Moors. The outward shew he had made of peace was only feigned, or
occasioned by the fear he had of seeing so great a fleet in his port,
from which he dreaded to sustain great injury; but the Moors had now
persuaded him into a contrary opinion, and had prevailed on him to break
his word.
When the time appointed by the admiral was expired, he ordered a gun to
be fired, as a signal to the captains of his ships to hang up the poor
Malabar prisoners, who had been distributed through the fleet. After they
were dead, he ordered their hands and feet to be cut off and sent on
shore in a paraw, accompanied by two boats well armed, and placed a
letter in the paraw for the zamorin, written in Arabic, in which he
signified that he proposed to reward him in this manner for his deceitful
conduct and repeated breach of faith; and, in regard to the goods
belonging to the king of Portugal which he detained, he would recover
them an hundred fold[9]. After this, the admiral ordered three of his
ships to be warped during the night as near as possible to the shore; and
that these should fire next day incessantly on the city with all their
cannon, by which vast injury was done, and the royal palace was entirely
demolished, besides several other houses belonging to the principal
inhabitants of the place. The admiral afterwards departed for Cochin,
leaving Vincente Sodre with six well armed ships to command the coast,
who was to remain in India when the rest of the fleet returned to
Portugal, and was likewise directed to go upon a voyage of discovery to
the straits of Mecca, and the coast of Cambaya[10].
From Calicut the admiral sailed for Cochin; and immediately on his
anchoring in that port, the rajah[11] sent on board certain hostages to
remain as his sureties; and when the admiral landed, the rajah went in
person to meet him. At this interview, the rajah delivered up to the
admiral Stephen Gyl and others who had remained in his country, and the
admiral presented a letter from the king of Portugal to the rajah,
returning thanks for the kindness he had shewn to Cabral, and declaring
his satisfaction at the settlement of a factory for trade at Cochin. The
admiral also delivered a present from the king of Portugal to the rajah,
consisting of a rich golden crown set with jewels, a gold enamelled
collar, two richly wrought silver fountains, two pieces of figured arras,
a splendid tent or pavilion, a piece of crimson satin, and another of
sendal[12]; all of which the rajah accepted with much satisfaction.
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